#3DStartup: sallea Prints Edible Scaffolding for Cultured Meat and Fish Products

Our western eating habits, with meat and fish regularly on our plates, have far-reaching ecological consequences. Monocultures, overfishing and factory farming are just some of them. To counteract this, we have seen some innovative approaches in the last decade, such as cultured meat, increasingly from 3D printers. Cellular agriculture is an alternative to livestock farming and can reduce emissions by 90% compared to beef production. The trend towards this type of agriculture is increasing and the popularity of cultured meat and fish products is also growing steadily. Enter sallea, whose aim is to support producers of this type of food in their production. Founded in November 2023, the startup has developed innovative 3D-printed scaffolds that form the basis for cultivating meat and fish products of any shape and with a specific nutritional profile. In this way, sustainable products can be created without animal suffering. We spoke to Nicole Kleger, CTO and co-founder of sallea, to find out more about the startup’s beginnings, the innovative technology and its goals.

3DN: Could you introduce yourself and your connection to 3D printing?

My name is Nicole Kleger, and I am the co-founder and CTO of sallea, a spin-off of ETH Zurich. I originally studied materials science at ETH Zurich and then also completed a doctorate at ETH. At sallea, I am responsible for everything that has to do with technology. This includes the further development of our products, project management internally and with external collaborators, scouting for new technologies, IP strategy, as well as developing the strategy for sallea’s further technological milestones.

Dr. Nicole Kleger, CTO and co-founder of sallea (photo credits: sallea AG)

I came to 3D printing because I’ve always liked having tangible products in my research. In other words, something you can see with your eyes. I was therefore fascinated by 3D printing early on in my studies because not only can it quickly produce something tangible, but it can also produce very aesthetic products. During my studies, I also became aware of the outstanding technical advantages of 3D printing, provided it is used in the right setting. I was then able to carry out my first project work with Professor André Studart during my Master’s degree and was able to really ‘play’ with a 3D printer for the first time.